The water heater is the heart of your home. Without hot water you'd have to take cold shower and wash the dishes and laundry in hot water (unless you wanted to heat it on the stove). The problem is that most Citrus Heights water heaters are neglected. No one ever thinks about them and they start to lose efficiency and eventually stop working altogether – usually years before they should have.
The typical lifespan of a water heater is about 10 years. This is because people don't do regular maintenance on them. A routinely maintained unit can last twice that long, some even longer depending on how often they are used.
Why Call a Plumber for Preventative Maintenance?
If you have a tank style water heater (the typical type in Citrus Heights) and it hasn't been looked at by a professional in the last few years, it's time. Here is a short list of the things that could have gone wrong in the last two years that you wouldn't notice immediately but are taking their toll on your unit:
- Calcium carbonate (scale) build up on the sacrificial anode
- Calcium carbonate build up on the electric heating element
- Sediment build-up at the bottom of the tank
- Bacteria growth in the base of the unit
- Pressure valve failure
- Inlet or outlet corrosion
- Galvanic corrosion in the electric heating element
- Burner soot build-up
- Interior tank rusting
One their own, these problems will slowly reduce the efficiency of your water heater and end up costing you more money. Your utility bill will slowly climb as the unit dies a little bit more every day. Every one of these issues can be fixed with a simple water heater repair service form our Citrus Heights pros.
A Malfunctioning Water Heater Can Be A Hazard
On a more dangerous note, if your thermostat happens to go bad and your temperature and pressure release valve is not working properly, your water heater can actually become a time bomb in your home. As the water in your tank starts to reach the boiling point, the temperature and pressure release valve is supposed to open to allow pressurized gases to escape. If it fails to open, the pressure builds until the entire tank explodes at its seam. This can create a huge amount of damage to surrounding the house structure, and if you happen to be near the heater when it goes, it could kill you.
A full water heater maintenance check from one of our Citrus Heights plumbers will make sure you have a safe, efficient source of hot water for years to come.
